


Stuck With Me // Jeon Jungkook

by JustMattie



Category: Fandom - Fandom, Fanfiction - Fandom, Jeon Jungkook - Fandom, Kpop - Fandom, X reader - Fandom, bts, jungkook - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 04:50:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 23,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14908664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustMattie/pseuds/JustMattie
Summary: in which jungkook is extremely wealthy and starts buying you lunch every day.





	1. banana milk

You had a premonition that day.

Sitting in class as you waited for your professor to come in, you opened your wallet and counted the money you had left. After spending money on the bus this morning to get to campus, you knew that you would be left with little to nothing. Your part-time job paid minimum wage, and even though you worked double shifts nearly every single day, you still could barely afford to eat some days after having to pay for apartment rent and transportation. And you couldn't move back home with your parents; it would be humiliating. So, you suffered in silence and counted your money carefully.

One thousand won. That's all you had left. A measly one thousand won. Your stomach growled as you checked your watch. It was an hour till your lunchtime, and you figured that a thousand won wasn't going to cut it. Perhaps you would have to settle for a pack of gum instead of actual food. At least you knew you would be able to eat dinner at work tonight; you were a waitress, and the staff got free meals on Fridays.

You looked up as someone entered the room, you first expected it to be your professor. But, no, it was Jeon Jungkook. Everyone in your Business School division knew of his name because he was one of the wealthiest students around. His family owned a huge corporation located down in Busan, and he had a hefty allowance. Rumor has it that he's never worked a day in his life.

You wanted to punch the smug smile off of his face as he walked around, up the stairs, and to your row. His assigned seat was unfortunately right next to yours, and even though it was a month into the semester, you still weren't used to having to be that close to him. It made you all kinds of uncomfortable.

Perhaps you were just intimated by him and his money. Or maybe it was that you were just jealous of how he didn't have to try, didn't have to struggle to have food on his plate and clothes on his back.

"Good morning, Y/N," he greeted you as he sat down, eyes shifting over to the one thousand won bill you had sitting on the table. You quickly snatched it up and shoved it back in your wallet. The last thing you wanted was Jungkook to realize how poor you really were; he would probably look down on you even more than you assumed he already did.

"Hi," you said in a quiet voice, keeping your eyes down. You didn't like small talk, and you especially didn't like it with him. You had never really had a real conversation with Jungkook, but he did greet you every morning. You had to give him credit for at least being polite in that sense. But because of all the rumors you'd heard about him, you had formed a judgemental biased opinion about the kind of person he was; stuck up, washed up, snotty rich kid.

Your stomach rumbled, and you put your hand over it, somehow hoping to silence it. You practically winced as you felt Jungkook's eyes on you, and you glanced over at him. He was looking at you, eyebrows raised.

"Did you skip breakfast today?" he chuckled.

"No," you said curtly, looking away from him again.

"Sounds like you did," he pressed, and you kept your eyes down on the table. Why did he have to be observant?

Fortunately, your professor walked in before you had to conjure up a response, and the lecture began. For the entirety of the class, you could feel Jungkook's eyes on you, especially when your stomach rumbled several more times.

When the lecture was over, you quickly grabbed your things and made a run for the campus convenience store before Jungkook had a chance to ask you any more questions about your stomach. There's no way you'd ever admit to him that you were practically starving. He was basically a stranger and not one with a good reputation. The only thing he had going for him was his looks, but it was hard to appreciate even that because of how arrogant he seemed.

The bell dinged as you opened the door, darting to the ramen section in hopes of finding something really cheap; a thousand won kind of cheap. The bell at the top of the door rang out again and you heard footsteps coming up behind you.

"Y/N, I saw that you only had a thousand won. That's not even enough to get yourself a banana milk," It was Jungkook, you knew his voice well enough to recognize him without having to turn around. You looked at him then, and he was pulling his wallet out of his back pocket.

"It's rude to flaunt your money in front of people who are obviously struggling," you rolled your eyes at him, pushing past him and continuing to search through the ramen labels.

"Who's flaunting money here?" he asked, "And they all cost at least two thousand, so are you sure you want to keep treating me this way?" He provoked you, waving ten bills in front of your face.

"I'd rather starve than take money from you," you scoffed, making your way toward the college convenience store exit. Truth was, Jungkook was right. There was no food here you'd be able to score for a thousand won alone. There wasn't a point to staying in the store and subjecting yourself to Jungkook's quirky attitude.

"C'mon, Y/N, babe, it's just ramen. You can pay me back later. Let's just say you'll owe me," he called out to you.

Babe? Did he really just called you "babe"?! Something about that infuriated you, it felt as if you were being mocked.

"If you're so rich, what are you doing here, eating cheap ramen instead of a premium steak?" you asked, irritation clear in your voice.

"I'm here for you."

"You're what?"

"I'm not a heartless person. I saw you only had a thousand won, so I came to buy you lunch. Your stomach grumbling was so distracting I missed half the things Professor Akins said," he said smugly, holding up the bills again.

You stood there, biting your lip as you tried to make the right decision. On the one hand, you were absolutely starving and he would only be loaning you two thousand won; not a big deal.

On the other hand, you were bound and determined to not accept pity loans from people, especially if it was someone like Jungkook. And you didn't want to have to owe him anything.

But, in the end, your stomach growling won, and you mumbled out, "Fine," as you walked over and took the bills from his hand. You were grimacing the entire time you picked out a ramen, even more so when Jungkook said, "Get one for me, too."

He grabbed two banana milks from the refrigerated section and set them on the check-out counter alongside the ramen you had picked out. He smiled at you after you paid, making your way to the window seating. You hoped he would leave so you could eat in peace, but he sat himself down right beside you instead.

You should've known better.

So as you sat there and ate your ramen, you realized, that Jungkook had extended a hand to help you, a stranger for all practical purposes. And whether that help was given because he was perhaps a kind person, or because he liked to be the one to solve charity cases was unclear.

But you had a premonition.

You were stuck with him.


	2. buttercup

That night at work, you weren't as hungry as you usually were, thanks to the ramen that Jungkook had gifted you with. You were looking forward to getting paid tonight so that on Monday you could immediately pay him back and not have to owe him anything anymore.

You decided that you would be careful with your money so that you didn't end up without lunch money again; you didn't need to embarrass yourself in front of Jungkook for the second time. You would make sure that you always had money for lunch, even if that meant walking the four miles from your apartment to University campus.

You made sure you an extra two thousand won in your pocket the following Monday so that you could pay Jungkook back as soon as he came into the classroom. You had the two bills in your hand, ready to go.

He came walking in, a red flannel on and a black beanie on today; clothes that actually didn't look like they had cost a thousand dollars. You were surprised by this as he usually dressed in blatantly expensive brands.

"Good morning, Y/N," he said, as usual, sitting down in the seat to your left.

"Here," you said, holding out the bills to him.

"What's this?" he asked, not reaching for the money.

"What do you mean? This is payback for the ramen on Friday," you squinted at him, wondering if he was dumb or just giving you a hard time.

"When I said you would owe me, I didn't mean with money," he smiled at you, "I need a favor today. If you help me with that favor, then we're even."

You stared at him dead in the eyes, trying to tell if he was serious or not. "Really?" you said, your voice flat and agitated.

"Really. I have all the money in the world. I don't need your measly two thousand won," he shrugged, "Keep that for later."

"If it's just a measly two thousand won, why do I have to pay you back at all?" you put the bills back in your wallet then crossed your arms.

"Because I showed you an act of kindness. Now, it's only fair that you show me one in return," he smiled even wider, and you felt creeped out. This kid was weird.

"What do you want?" you sighed. Maybe it would be easier to just help Jungkook out today and be done with it. Then you would both be even and you would make sure that he never had to buy you lunch again.

"I need you to come with me and film an audition for me."

"Don't you have a camera tripod?"

"Namjoon-Hyung broke it," he genuinely seemed sad about it.

"Who?"

"Not important," Jungkook shook his head, "Will you help more or not? I mean, I'm probably going to be able to talk you into it one way or another, but it would be nice if you just agreed instead of forcing me to convince you."

You stared at him again, surprised at how easily he could put you at a loss for words. It made you mad. Why did you have to get wrapped up with Jungkook of all people?

You sighed, "Fine. When are we going?"

"It may take most of the afternoon...I have a lot to do. Are you free of class for the rest of the day?"

"Yeah..." you hated to admit that, knowing that you were accepting a full afternoon of Jungkook.

Professor Akins entered then, forcing both of you to shut up. For that, you were relieved.

Okay, just an afternoon of helping Jungkook and I'm off the hook. I can manage that, you thought.

No big deal, right?

Wrong.

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆

"C'mon, buttercup," he said once class was over, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, "We got no time to lose."

First babe, now buttercup? What was with him and terms of endearment?

"What about lunch?" you pouted, your stomach rumbling. You really needed to start investing in some breakfast food.

"Aw, are you hungry?"

"Obviously. Why else would I be asking about lunch?"

"Help me first, and then I'll treat you to lunch."

You started to agree, but then you realized you were falling for a trap. "You're trying to put me in a position where I'll owe you again," you accused him.

"There are no strings attached to this lunch, I promise."

"I don't believe you."

"Well, that's your own problem, then," he shrugged. You followed him out the classroom door, struggling to keep up with his fast pace as he made his out of the building and toward a parked car on the side of the string. It was literally a G-Wagon.

"Is this yours?" you asked, even though you already knew the answer.

"Yep," he said, "Climb in."

Reluctantly, you slid into the passenger seat and put your seatbelt.

"Where exactly are we going to film your audition?" You asked, beginning to grow suspicious at his entire charade.

"You'll see," he said, buckling his seatbelt and then turning the car on.

You were already in his car with your seatbelt buckled, so you figured there was no turning back now. He kept the windows rolled down as he drove, and you kept your eyes trained outside, trying to figure out where he was taking you.

"Do you want to listen to some music?" he asked, speaking for the first time for a few minutes.

"Sure," you said, turning on the radio to the alternative station.

"Good choice," he mused, before growing quiet again as you two allowed the music to flood your eyes. For a few short moments, you found that being in Jungkook's presence was actually somewhat pleasant. But that still didn't change the fact he was a snobby, arrogant man.

Around 20 minutes later, he pulled into what looked like a giant, empty parking lot. It wasn't until you saw jets overhead that you started to put the pieces together.

"Um, again, Jungkook, where are we going?" you gulped.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that I have to film my audition in Jeju island? My song has an island vibe," he looked over at you with a toothy grin.

"You can't be serious. What about school tomorrow?"

"We'll be back by tonight. My family owns that private jet over there, duh." He said it as if it should be totally obvious that he has his own airplane.

"Now, come on, buttercup. Let's go."

Your mouth hung open as you really couldn't believe you were about to fly on a private jet, to Jeju island, with Jeon Jungkook. Your life was seemingly growing more and more bizarre by the day. 

"Oh, and we'll have lunch on the plane. Do you like filet mignon?" 

"I've literally never had that in my life," you admitted, following Jungkook up the walkway and toward the airplane. 

"Well, you're about to," he smiled, "Now, Y/N, climb aboard."


	3. boyish

The flight from Seoul to Jeju island was only an hour and ten minutes long. You and Jungkook sat beside one another in the comfy chairs that resembled the first class section of a regular airplane; something that you never had the coin to afford.

It was insane to you that you were experiencing the life of luxury by flying on a private jet, eating filet mignon, next to a very beautiful boy.

What are you thinking?! You are supposed to dislike Jungkook after everything you've heard about him. And so far, considering the way he's acted, the rumors seem at least partially true.

You shook those thoughts of Jungkook out of your head and focused your attention out the window. Now that you were belly was full, you were starting to feel a bit drowsy.

"Rest up for a bit. I'll wake you up when we get there," Jungkook said, seemingly taking notice of your yawning.

"Are you sure? You aren't going to make me keep you company?" you scowled.

"Well, if you insist. Sure, stay awake and talk to me. Then after you do that, and after you help me today, we'll be even," he said, his eyes throwing daggers at yours.

You sighed, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Let's talked about you," he turned in the seat to face you a bit better.

"What do you want to know?" You weren't about to spill all of your life secrets to Jungkook, but you would have a modest conversation with him if that meant repaying your debt. You couldn't believe he was making you jump through this many hoops for a measly cup ramen.

"Why did you only have one thousand won that day?"

"No personal questions," you shook your head.

"How is that a personal question?"

"It just is. Next question, please."

Jungkook pursed his lips, "Okay. What do you think about me?"

"That's another personal question."

"C'mon, babe, how is that a personal question?"

You ignored the fact that he called you babe again. He must be a huge fan of terms of endearment. But, he didn't seem to find you endearing...So using those words didn't make much sense.

"Because you're asking to hear my thoughts about something. That makes it personal."

"Please, answer. Answer that one question and you don't have to answer anything else."

"Why do you want to know so bad what I think of you?"

"You're not the one who's supposed to be asking the questions here," he crossed his arms.

"Fine," you let out an exasperated sigh, "I think you're a rich, arrogant, playboy who's taking advantage of the fact I was too poor to buy myself lunch."

"Ouch," he blinked. "At least you're honest."

"You're the one that set yourself up to get your feelings hurt," you mumbled, turning to look back out the window. You had a moment of feeling a little bit bad about the things that you said, but you overcame those feelings quickly by reminding yourself that Jungkook was the one making you go all the way to Jeju just to "repay your debt." If he was truly engaging in an act of kindness, he wouldn't have asked you for anything in return.

"My feelings aren't hurt," he smirked, leaning back into his seat. "I've been called much worse."

"I can imagine," you chuckled, and he looked over and smiled at you. One thing you had learned about Jungkook was that he wasn't very easily offended. If you were honest, that was a good quality to have.

The plane landed around 20 minutes later, a slightly uncomfortable silence filling up the time in between the conversation and making it to the ground.

Jungkook grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. "I'll call us an Uber," he said, leading you toward the plane's exit.

"Watch your step," he said as he gestured to the stairs that extended from the plane's open door to the ground. You did as you were told and started to descend down the stairs, Jungkook following behind you. You did your best to be careful, but you stepped wrong by accident and started to feel yourself fall. Extreme panic flooded through your veins as you anticipated falling down the full flight of stairs. But then, hands were clutching your waist, pulling you backward and up on your feet again.

"I told you to be careful," Jungkook grumbled, moving to stand on the same stair as you. "Hold my hand," he ordered.

"What?"

"Hold my hand so you don't fall again," he repeated himself, "You could've gotten seriously hurt just now." He almost seemed...angry. It was weird; why did he care so much?

"O-Okay," you complied, taking his hand. He locked his fingers with yours as you two began to climb down the rest of the stairs. As weird as it sounds, you were so close to him that you could smell him. His scent was boyish and traces of cologne lingered on your nose. Whatever he used, it smelled nice and was kind of intoxicating in a way.

What are you thinking? You shake your head and try to dismiss the thoughts. You have to stop thinking about Jungkook like that. Your cheeks burned in embarrassment at your own thoughts, so you started talking to try and get past the moment.

"How come you're wearing such casual clothes today? You usually don't," you said without thinking through how saying that made you sound. It showed that you did notice him after all, that you paid attention to him.

He smirked, "You notice my outfits, huh?"

"Just answer the question," you looked down, watching your feet carefully and trying to ignore the fact that Jungkook had just squeezed your hand a little bit.

"I don't want these talent agencies to see me as a rich, pretty boy that's super privileged. I want to seem normal and show that I can work just as hard as everyone else," Jungkook explained as the two of you conquered the final step. He dropped your hand then, and you almost missed the warmth of where it used to be.

Again, with the thoughts! You blushed again and deeply hoped that he didn't notice. Fortunately, he was taking out his phone and calling the uber, not paying attention to your face. This day just continually grew stranger and stranger.

"Okay, they'll be here in a few minutes," he said, putting his phone back in his pocket. 

"Cool," you said, the two of you slipping into a very awkward silence. 

"I'm kind of..." he started slowly, seemingly hesitating a bit, "I'm kind of sorry to have been such a bother to you," he admitted. "I hope you have fun here, regardless."

"It's okay," you shrugged, not seeing a point in giving him a hard time. You'd already been pretty mean to him today. 

"Well, once the Uber is here and we're on our way, we'll be done and heading back to Seoul in no time," he reassured you. 

That sounded good in theory, if that's how things would've actually played out.

What you didn't know is that just a few hours later you'd realize that you and Jungkook were stranded in Jeju...for the night. 

Together. 

You were stuck with him yet again.


	4. warm glow

Jungkook's video shoot didn't take too long; much less time went into it than you expected. And it was a pretty simple process. He just sang by the beach while you held his camera straight and filmed it for him.

You hadn't ever heard Jungkook's voice before, and honestly, it kind of stunned you. He had such a beautiful, smooth, and calming voice that you weren't expecting, and it made you feel some type of way.

You fiddled with the camera settings here and there to try and distract yourself from your obvious attraction to the boy, but it didn't seem to work that well. You kept running away from the simple fact that you did find some qualities of Jungkook to be attractive. You didn't want to admit that to yourself because you'd built Jungkook up in your mind as someone you were supposed to hate. Your pride was too big to admit that maybe you were wrong about him.

"Thank you, buttercup," he said, taking his camera back from you once the last audition tape was finished. "I appreciate it. And we're even now." He smiled, "I'll call us an Uber back to the airport and we'll be on our way."

Sitting next to Jungkook in the back of the car, you noticed the warm glow of his skin and how content he looked just sitting there, watching the scenery of Jeju fly by. You watched him carefully, taking notice of every plane of his face.

You turned away when his eyes managed to catch yours, and you blushed again, praying he wouldn't say anything about your staring at him. Fortunately, he didn't. He just turned to look out the window again, sighing in a way that sounded like contentment.

You met Jungkook outside of the car once you arrived at the airport, waiting for him to lead the way.

"Jungkook, I have some bad news," You didn't know whose voice that was, but you saw an older male approaching you and Jungkook.

"Yair, what's going on?" Jungkook seemed concerned, glancing over his shoulder for a second to make sure that you were still behind him.

"There's a problem with the jet. They think it's just a minor system issue, but they don't want you two flying home on it just in case. It's going to take them a while to fix it," Yair scratched the back of his neck, "I think you guys may have to spend the night here." Your blood practically ran cold.

Jungkook glanced at his watch, "You really think it's going to take that long to fix?"

"Yeah, honestly. You two are better off staying in a hotel and checking back in tomorrow. I don't want you guys to be stranded here at the airport for the next several hours. Especially the girl you've brought along. Get her somewhere comfortable," Yair nodded at you, and you blushed. You inwardly cursed yourself for blushing so easily.

Jungkook looked over to you, "Sorry," he muttered. "Thanks for letting me know, Yair. We'll see you in the morning, I guess."

"Goodnight, you two," he said, before walking back toward the offices.

"What are we going to do?" you tried not to sound panicked, but how could you not be? You were stranded in Jeju with Jungkook for the night. Why would that not make you feel uncomfortable and nervous?

"Don't worry. I have my credit cards. I'll just book us each a hotel room and we'll come back here in the morning to get home," Jungkook explained, seeming entirely too casual about the whole situation.

"Won't all hotels around here cost like a bajillion won to stay at?"

"Are you forgetting that I'm rich?" he chuckled, pulling out his phone. "Let's go to dinner."

"Jungkook, I don't want to have to owe you any more money. And now I'm going to miss work," you realized. You had an early morning breakfast shift at the restaurant, and you knew now there was no way you'd be back in time to work.

"You won't owe more for this. I'm the one that dragged you here, and you and I became even the second you were done filming my auditions. So don't worry about it," he shrugged your comment off, "Now, hush, so I can call us yet another car."

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆

The restaurant Jungkook wanted to go to was only 15 minutes away from the airport, which was good for you because you were starting to get hungry again. It would be your third meal with Jungkook in the just the past couple of days, but this was the first time you two would be sitting down at an actual restaurant together.

And he was paying.

So it was technically a date.

You shivered.

"What do you look so nervous for?" Jungkook giggled as the two of you entered the restaurant.

"Do I look nervous?" You played dumb.

"Well your face has gone super pale, so yeah, you look nervous," Jungkook said, "Table for 2, please," he said to the hostess. You managed to get a look around and you realized how most of the other women there were wearing dresses and the men were wearing suits.

You and Jungkook were both severely underdressed.

The restaurant was clearly fancy and romantic, the lights dim and the vibe somewhat sexy. You fumed at the fact Jungkook had brought you to such an expensive and fancy place.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but you two don't meet our dress code," the hostess said, grimacing slightly as she looked you both up and down.

Jungkook took a step toward her, his lips turning up into a slight smirk, "Ms., I don't think you realize... I'm Jeon Jungkook," he said, and you wanted to roll your eyes. Did he really think that was going to work.

"Oh! Mr. Jeon, I sincerely apologize. Right this way," she said, stepping out from behind the podium and showing you both to your seats.

"Did that literally just happen?" you guffawed, unable to believe that by simply saying his name, he was granted access to what he wanted.

"My father has a lot of connections in Jeju, and this restaurant is one of his favorites to visit. Mine, too," Jungkook explained quietly so the hostess wouldn't hear.

"So you brought me here, knowing that we were both underdressed," you said. He was unbelievable.

"Yep. I knew they would let me in regardless," he winked at you, before pulling out a seat, "Sit, Y/N."

You did as you were told, and he sat down across from you.

"Anything to drink?" the hostess asked.

"The wine that's specially sitting aside for my family, please," Jungkook gave the hostess one of his knee-weakening smiles, using his looks to get his way.

"You're unbelievable," you scoffed as the hostess walked away.

"Babe, I'm a lot of things," he grinned, "You just wait and see."

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆  
A/N: so, that's chapter 4! what do you guys think of this story so far? it's pretty different from my other works so i'm curious to know what you all are thinking so far. all I know is that i'm really enjoying this change of pace!


	5. the deal

You and Jungkook both ordered seafood pasta along with the wine that was brought out. You weren't one to drink, so even though Jungkook insisted on pouring you a glass, you just let it sit there without ever actually taking a drink of it.

Your eyes quietly roamed around the restaurant, both you and Jungkook participating in some people-watching. It seemed that everyone else that was eating there was couples. And to a stranger's eyes, it appeared as if you and Jungkook were too.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, taking a sip of his wine.

"I've never been to a place this nice before. It's kind of a weird feeling for me," you admitted.

"Well, are you enjoying it?" Jungkook asked, picking up his fork to begin eating again.

That was a good question. Were you enjoying it? As much as you wanted to say no, the answer was really yes. Jungkook had actually been almost pleasant and not annoying for the majority of dinner. After his 'I'm a lot of things' comment, he slipped into a normal kind of mood, letting you eat your dinner in peace without prying at you or teasing you. So, yeah, dinner was actually enjoyable. You decided to be honest with him. You weren't a mean person, but you had really been giving Jungkook a hard time throughout this whole ordeal, and he probably didn't deserve that.

"Yeah, I actually am enjoying it," you answered, continuing to eat as well.

"I'm glad," he smiled at you, and for once it actually seemed genuine. It didn't feel like he was making fun of you or mocking you like it had before. It was just...sweet.

"So, why did you ask me of all people to come and help you film your audition? That's a pretty big responsibility to give to someone that you barely know, whether I owed you or not," you asked, twirling some pasta around your fork.

"You aren't a stranger to me, Y/N. I asked you because I trusted that you would do a good job with it. Well, and because you're now the only person that knows that I'm auditioning for talent agencies at all," Jungkook explained. You were shocked by that; why had he trusted you with a such a secret? You couldn't understand him. 

"How come no one else knows that you're auditioning? You didn't even tell your friends?"

"I'll tell them when the time is right. My family doesn't really approve of show business so I'll have to keep it from them until I can figure out what to do about that," Jungkook said through a mouthful of pasta. He was almost finished with his bowl.

"Oh...I'm sorry," you said, feeling bad that his family didn't support something that obviously important to him.

"Don't be. I'm used to it," he shrugged, "Now that I've shared something personal with you, it's your turn to share something personal with me." He got you there. It was really only fair at this point considering Jungkook had shared intimate details about his relationship with his family with you.

"Alright, I'll answer one question of your choosing," you sighed, considering taking a skip of the wine. You decided against it.

"I want to know why you only had one thousand won in your wallet that day," Jungkook said in a serious tone, his eyes looking into yours.

"Again with this question," you sighed. It really wasn't a question you were interested in answering.

"Why is this such a difficult question for you?" his eyes looked soft under the dim lighting...the almost seemed kind. And something about them compelled you to tell him the truth.

"I'm really poor," you admitted, "I work double shifts every day, but I still barely have enough money to feed myself. There, happy?" You narrowed your eyes at him, growing embarrassed that you had just admitted your financial burdens to the richest kid at Yonsei University.

"Oh," Jungkook's face fell slightly as he looked down, his eyes leaving yours. "I didn't realize...I thought maybe you had just forgotten your money at home," He said quietly, setting his fork down.

You didn't say anything, because you weren't sure how to respond to that. All you knew is that Jungkook actually seemed to feel bad about asking you that question. And for some reason, that satisfied you.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, taking notice of how you weren't eating anymore as well.

"Sure," you said, standing up from your chair.

Jungkook paid the bill at the front, and you two made it out into the cold night air. You shivered, your short sleeve shirt not quite cutting it in this wind.

"Do you mind if we walk to the hotel? It's only a block away and it'd be faster to walk than waiting for an Uber," Jungkook explained.

"That's fine," you said, crossing your arms to try and keep them from getting too cold. Jungkook took off his flannel, leaving him with just a black tank top on, handing the shirt to you. You gulped.

"Here," he said, still holding the shirt out to you. You were reluctant to accept it but your cold arms begged otherwise.

"Thanks," you said quietly, taking the shirt and slipping it on. It smelled good; it smelled like him and his cologne that you had honestly fallen in love with. And the material was soft, as if it had been washed the perfect amount of times.

"Did you really mean what you said earlier?" he murmured, the two of you walking beside one another on the darkened street.

"About what?"

"About what you think of me..."

"I was being harsh earlier. I'm sorry," you said, biting your lip. You really did feel bad about how you had acted.

"I lied when I said it didn't hurt my feelings," he confessed, "I don't want you to think of me that way."

"But Jungkook, why do you care what I think of you at all? I'm just a random person in your class, why do I even matter anyways?"

He was silent for a moment, considering your question carefully before answering.

"I don't know, I just do...When other people make false judgements about me I'm able to brush it off...I just can't seem to do the same with you."

You were quiet, shocked by his words.

"I mean, I just don't want you to think I'm something that I'm really not. That bothers me."

"Well, you'll have to show me the real you, then. I only know the rumors about you, not the real you," you reminded him.

"I'll make you a deal, Y/N."

"What's that?"

"You give me a chance to show you the real me, and I'll make sure you have lunch every day."

"That sounds fair."

"You're stuck with me now, you know that right?"

"I know."


	6. very personal

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jeon, I know your family are loyal customers to Herod's United Hotels, but we only have one room available. We weren't expecting you tonight and we're dead in the middle of tourist season," the hotel manager explained, seeming honestly quite sorry.

Jungkook sighed heavily, obviously aggravated, but wasn't about to take out his frustrations on the poor manager that couldn't do anything about the fact there weren't two rooms available.

"Okay. Just give me the one...We'll figure something out," he sighed again, glancing over at you as he passed his credit card to the manager.

"Thank you, Mr. Jeon. Here is your room key," the manager passed over the card and Jungkook's credit card as well.

As you and Jungkook walked away from the service desk, you felt panic beginning to overwhelm you. How were you going to spend the night with Jungkook in the same room? It would be so awkward and uncomfortable, and those kinds of situations made your skin crawl. You hated feeling awkward.

"I'm sorry about this," Jungkook said as he pushed the up button for the elevator. You two were on the 14th floor. "Don't worry, I'll take the couch."

You sighed a quiet sigh of relief that he wasn't going to try and share the bed with you. "Thanks."

Entering the elevator, you took a moment to reflect on your day. Not only did you get dragged to Jeju by Jeon Jungkook, but you shared an intimate dinner with him and would now be sleeping in the same hotel room as him. You almost laughed at loud at how crazy the events were turning out to be. It felt surreal.

"Come on," Jungkook said, unlocking the door to the room. It was a moderate sized room; the most expensive and nicest rooms were all booked up. It had a queen sized bed, a small kitchenette, a couch, and TV, and a balcony that overlooked the night.

You were both a standstill for a short moment, neither one of you knowing what you should say or do next. It was the awkward feeling that you had dreaded. You inwardly cringed.

"I'm going to take a shower real quick," he said, "Unless you want to go first?"

"No, it's okay. Go ahead," you shook your head. Jungkook went into the bathroom then and closed the door. You were relieved that the awkward moment had passed.

You sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling out your phone for the first time in a while. You hadn't told anyone of your whereabouts today because honestly, there really wasn't anyone to tell. You were kind of in between friend groups at the moment. Jungkook was the first person you'd eaten a meal with other your coworkers in months.

You grew bored quickly. Tossing your phone the bed, you decided to go stand out on the balcony and check out the view. Jeju was gorgeous at nighttime, and you were content standing out there for a while even though the wind was still cold. Jungkook's flannel was helping to keep you warm and the smell of it was almost intoxicating.

You weren't sure how long you'd been standing out there when you heard Jungkook's footsteps approaching from behind you. He stood beside you, and that's when you realized...

He was shirtless.

"Where are your clothes?!" you exclaimed, averting your eyes away from immediately. You caught sight of his abs, your cheeks heating up in flames.

"I can't sleep in a tank top. It's smothering," he explained, "If it bothers you that much I'll put it back on."

You didn't want to come off as a prude, so you shook your head, "No, it's fine."

"The view is beautiful. It's been a while since I've been here...I'd forgotten." He favored the view and you snuck a glance at him. He seemed tired, his eyes soft and his hair wet.

"It is," you agreed, "This almost makes having to miss work tomorrow worthwhile."

"Will you miss out on money that you really needed?"

"Yeah..."

"How much? I can pay you how much you would make," Jungkook offered. That was quite a generous offer that you wish you could've accepted, but you didn't want to freeload off of his wealth.

"It's okay, Jungkook. That's not necessary," you insisted and he nodded, not pushing the subject any further.

"I meant what I said about becoming your lunch buddy, though."

"I know."

"Nothing more expensive than ramen, got it?"

"Deal."

"I'm going to shower now too." You used that as a reason to leave the balcony and get away from shirtless Jungkook, hoping he'd be laying down on the couch and covered up by a blanket by the time you got back.

You showered quickly, having to put back on the clothes you arrived in. Unlike Jungkook, you were going to sleep with all your clothes on. You stood in the bathroom, looking at his flannel and wondered if he would say anything about you sleeping in it. You were cold from your wet hair, and Jungkook's flannel was so comforting. You went against your better judgement and put it back on.

When you exited the bathroom, Jungkook was laying down the couch, but not covered up. You hoped you weren't blushing again.

"I couldn't find any extra blankets. Think you could give me the loose sheet?" he asked, yawning. 

"Yeah, sure," you went over to the bed, peeling back the quilt and pulling the loose sheet off for Jungkook. You went over to him and covered him up without really thinking about how that could be perceived by him.

"You're wearing my shirt," he said, slightly smiling to himself. You knew that you shouldn't have worn it. But it was too late now.

"I was cold," you mumbled, turning off the light climbing into bed. You pulled the quilt up to your chin, shivering slightly. The only light now was what was streaming through the window from the buildings outside.

"Are things going to be different in the morning?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper.

"What do you mean?"

"Are we going to pretend this day never happened once we get home tomorrow? Forget about our deal?"

"I don't want to forget..." you whispered, almost hoping for a second that he didn't hear you. That wasn't the case.

"I don't either..."

"Then let's not forget. Let's keep our deal. Let's keep our promises," you whispered back, talking to the darkness since you couldn't see his face. You turned over on your side, smelling the soft fabric of his flannel by accident. You smiled.

"We will," he said, "I'm glad you're here."

"Goodnight, Jungkook."

"Goodnight, Y/N."


	7. nightmare

You woke suddenly to the sounds of someone crying, feeling clammy and sick. Your hands rushed to cover to your mouth as you realized that the tears were your own. Your breaths felt uneven and you felt as if you were slipping into a panic attack.

It'd been a nightmare, you realized, were Jungkook had died. It was a terrible dream, one that upset you far more than you ever would've thought possible. You guessed you dreamt of Jungkook because he'd been on your mind so much, but why the dream such a terrible turn was a mystery to you.

"Y/N? Y/N? What's wrong?!" He sounded deeply concerned and more serious than you had ever heard him be. 

It was Jungkook being concerned for you. Your tears keep flowing, but you did your best to answer him, "I just had a nightmare."

A splash of light emerged from the left and you realized that he turned the lamp on. You felt the bed shift, Jungkook had sat down on the edge of it and was reaching out to you.

You kept trying to rub your tears away, but they were falling too fast. Your face was warm and sticky, and you knew you must've looked terrible. More than anything you were embarrassed that he was seeing you look like such a mess over a stupid dream.

"Stop, stop," he coaxed you, taking your face in his hands and wiping away the fast-flowing tears himself. You wanted to pull away because you felt like you were being ridiculous, so you did. You pushed his hands away.

"Let me help," he said soothingly, but you didn't seem to be able to calm down. It was the slightest of movements, but you noticed his arms open slightly, silently inviting you to be held by them.

Before you had time to talk yourself out of it, you bridged the gap, easily falling against him.

"Just let it out, I got you," he whispered in your ear, and you swear you felt his lips brush lightly against your forehead. "Do you want to talk about it?" he murmured, his voice undeniably calming to you in this moment of distress.

"You died," you managed through the tears that were starting to cause you to hiccup. "I had a dream you died." You tightened your arms around his bare back, your face against his chest. You were so upset you didn't even have time to care that he was half naked.

"It was just a dream," he smoothed your hair, "I'm right here and I'm fine."

"I know, it just scared me a lot," you mumbled, unable to believe that you were admitting that the thought of losing him was so distressing. You barely knew him, and he aggravated you, but you were fascinated by him. And this incident made you realized that you were starting to care. It'd only been a few days, but you were starting to care about what happened to him.

He remained calm, inhaling and exhaling at a soothing speed, his hot breath coming into contact with your neck. "I got you," he said again, resting his head down on your shoulder as you continue to hug him.

You weren't sure how long you stayed wrapped up with him like that, but once you started to calm down you felt a large sense of awkwardness. You felt so embarrassed; you'd never felt so embarrassed in your life. You were starting to regret being so vulnerable in front of him so soon because he was now seeing you without your walls up. That was a scary thing.

"I'm fine now," you sniffed, pulling away from his embrace, "Thanks."

"Are you sure?" he furrowed his eyebrows, not seeming to believe you. 

"I'm fine, go back to bed," you said, turning away from him, laying back down, and pulling the covers back up over your head. Jungkook sighed and got up from the bed. He turned off the lamp and walked away from you. 

You fell back asleep while thinking about how comfortable Jungkook's arms really were.

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆

Jungkook woke you up early so you two could get to the airport, and the first thing you felt was regret.

Regret over everything that happened last night. Everything that happened with him. The entire moment was too intimate for your liking, and you cringed, knowing that you couldn't take any of it back.

"I'm sorry about last night," you muttered, "It won't happen again."

"Y/N, it's okay," he said quietly, already dressed and ready to go.

You got out of bed, smoothing your hair quickly. It wasn't okay. It was embarrassing and terrible and just not good that you allowed yourself to be so weak in front of him. He'd be able to see right through your strong facade from now on. And that was something you didn't like. You were a guarded person, and the thought that Jungkook had managed his way around your defenses bothered you.

"I swear, it's okay," he said once more.

"Thank you," is all you could manage, "Let's get going."

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆

The airplane ride back was quiet, but not necessarily in a super uncomfortable way.

Jungkook let you keep his shirt and he just wore his black tank top around. Truth was, it didn't matter what he was wearing; he always looked good.

He seemed to look at you differently now, in somewhat of a softer way. You kind of figured he would be the type to use your weak moments against you, to throw it back in your face, but he didn't. He didn't bring the prior night up again, and let you sit in peace for the entirety of the plane ride. You were starting to question your original impressions of Jungkook. Maybe he wasn't who you initially thought he was.

Once you two landed back in Seoul, you weren't exactly sure how to part ways. It felt like so much was different from the time you left with yesterday to now; Your relationship with him had shifted significantly.

"I'm going to run home and get a change of clothes. I'll see you in class?" he asked after driving you both to your house so he could drop you off.

"Yeah for sure," you agreed, forgetting that you still had a full day of college ahead of you. You sighed. You weren't exactly well rested.

"Okay," he said, taking a look at you before saying, "I'll bring us coffee." He smiled softly, his eyes looking just as tired as yours probably did.

"Sounds good," you unbuckled and got out of the car, already almost to your apartment's door before realizing that he hadn't asked for his shirt back.

It was yours now.


	8. meals

For the following few weeks, you and Jungkook began to fall into a routine. Since you had Monday through Friday class with him right before lunchtime, it was easy to leave with him right from school to go and get food.

For the first few days, you two ate ramen and banana milk like you had done the first time, but that grew old and repetitive rather quickly.

"I'm worried about your health," Jungkook said, "No one should be eating this much cheap food. Please let me buy us something a little more expensive," he had asked you. It was difficult to argue with him because he was right; eating ramen that often isn't good for anybody. So, you complied, and let him take you to some nicer places for lunch during your second week together with him.

You two didn't always talk over your meal, it really depended upon the day and what kind of mood you were in. All you knew for sure was that Jungkook's presence was something that was growing strikingly comfortable for you. He had stopped giving you such a hard time and didn't tease you so much. You couldn't help but wonder if your nightmare incident was part of the reason he'd started going so easy on you. Maybe after seeing you in a such a low moment, he realized that you were a fragile human just like everyone else.

Regardless of all those things, you and Jungkook were actually becoming friends. And while this was a positive thing in your life because you really didn't have any other people to spend time with, you dreaded other people in the business department finding out. Jungkook was always the talk of the town, and every girl longed to belong to him. You were a nobody, and yet Jungkook was your friend. This would not go over well with the popular girls in your department.

"Okay, for this semester-long project, you're going to be partnering with the person seated to your left. There are only two people in a group, so don't even think about trying to convince me that a group of three is a better idea. I expect your group to comply with the project deadlines in the syllabus without me having to remind you. You all are Sophomores in college; I'm not going to hold your hand through this," Professor Akins said on Monday, two weeks after your trip to Jeju with Jungkook.

Fortunately, Jungkook was the person seated to your left so you wouldn't have to attempt the project with a total stranger. For this, you were both relieved and grateful.

"Hello there, partner," Jungkook whispered to you, a grin on his face.

"Shh, you're going to make Professor Akins hate us more than she probably already does," you whispered back, but you smiled, letting him know you were joking.

"Discuss this over lunch today?" he whispered back.

"Sure."

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆

"So I figure we can work on the project during our lunch hour everyday, but that probably won't be enough time to get everything done by the due dates," Jungkook said in between bites of his soup. You two were at a hole-in-the-wall soup place that was a few blocks away from your University.

"So when else do you want to meet up then?"

"The evenings?" he started but then stopped himself, "You work the dinner shift at Wine Wood don't you?"

"I do," you grimaced, "Every night of the week."

"What time to you get off work?"

"Around 9 pm."

"Well you could just come to my house for an hour or two once you get off work. If we did that two or three times a week plus our lunch hour, I think we'd be in good shape. Unless coming to my house is going to make you uncomfortable," he added.

"No, that's actually a good idea. Let's do that on Tuesday's and Thursday's. Those are the least busy nights at the restaurant so sometimes I'm able to leave early," you said, finishing off the rest of your soup. It was delicious and would typically be completely out of your price range, so you were grateful to Jungkook for being your lunch buddy all over again.

He started to reply when he was interrupted by two girls coming up to your table. They looked familiar; they must be in the same class as you and Jungkook.

"Hey Kookie," the girl on the right said. She had raven black hair and wicked eyeliner going on; she was honestly beautiful.

"Hey, uh," Jungkook stalled for a moment, obviously having forgotten the girl's name.

"Yoona," she said.

"Right. Hey, Yoona. What's up?" he asked politely, but you could tell that he was annoyed by her presence. You'd only been spending a lot of time with Jungkook for just a couple of weeks, but you'd quickly learned how to read his body language.

"Are you coming to Youngjae's frat party on Thursday?"

Jungkook glanced over at you before answering, "I'm  
not."

"Aw, how come?" she pouted in such a fake manner that it made you cringe.

"I have to work on the business project," Jungkook replied.

"You can do that any night of the week. C'mon, come to Jae's party," Yoona pushed, but Jungkook shook his head.

"No, thanks."

"Is it because of her?" Yoona asked, gesturing toward you. You could feel yourself starting to blush.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been ditching all of your usually social events but yet having lunch with her every day. Do you really think we haven't noticed?"

"Who I eat my meals with should be none of your concern," Jungkook stood from his chair, leaving a hundred thousand won on the table. "Come on, Y/N," he said, reaching for your hand. You weren't about to refuse his hand in front of those two awful girls, you allowed him to grab it, leading you away from them and out of the restaurant.

"I'm sorry about that," Jungkook said once the two of you were outside. But, he hadn't dropped your hand. So, you didn't let go either.

"It's not your fault that they're kind of terrible people," you chuckled, "Really, I'm used to people disliking me."

"I just don't understand that," he squeezed your hand as you two continued to walk down the sidewalk back toward school.

"Don't understand what?"

"How someone could dislike you. That doesn't make any sense to me."

"What do you mean, exactly?"

"You're a wonderful person, Y/N. The fact that you don't have a lot of friends doesn't make sense. I was  
dying to become acquainted with you. I don't know why others aren't too." He stopped talking then, and you had no idea what to say.

So you just kept holding his hand, walking together.


	9. fight

All you wanted that day was to meet up with Jungkook for lunch. He had something to attend to with his family so he skipped class, but he was free to meet up with you for lunch as usual. All you wanted was to meet up with Jungkook, have a pleasant lunch, and work on your project together.

But, unfortunately, that's not how the events transpired.

"Hang back for a sec, Y/N," That was Yoona. You could easily recognize her now after the events at the soup place on Monday. It was Friday now, but the image of her face had still not left your mind. The feeling of Jungkook's hand hold yours hadn't faded either.

"Why?" You asked quietly, unsure of why you felt so afraid of her. Jungkook was waiting for you, and you weren't in the mood for a girl chat.

"Because," she said, waiting on the other students to filter out of the classroom. Professor Akins had left as soon as she was done with her lecture.

You stayed like Yoona told you to even though it was the last thing you should've done. You should've left, going with all the other students. You should've left  
and went to Jungkook like you were supposed to do.

"I want you to switch partners with me," Yoona said once no one else was in the room.

"Huh?"

"For the project, you idiot. Switch partners with me. You can have Tara and I'll go with Jungkook."

"No," you said, "We've already started on everything. And, that's not what Professor Akins told us to do," you argued, but your voice sounded weak. You were scared of being alone with her, and you were scared of making her mad. You had some social anxiety, that was for sure.

"Do I look like I care that you've already started?" she huffed, "Switch partners with me."

"No," you said again, trying your best to hold your ground even though all you wanted to do was run away from her and go meet Jungkook.

"I'm not going to ask you again," Yoona took a step closer to you. She had quite a bit of height on you.

"Why do you want him so bad anyway?" you challenged her, finding some courage within yourself.

"I'm in love with him. And you're just a piece of trash that he keeps carrying around for some reason. You're in the way of Jungkook and I; I know he feels the same about me."

You were quiet for a moment, considering her words. You highly doubted that Jungkook wanted anything to do with her after the incident on Monday."I don't think that's true."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't think he wants you like you want him. Didn't you see him take my hand on Monday?" you surprised yourself with your words, with your courage. You weren't trying to be mean to her and crush her hopes and dreams, but she was the one who had gotten in your face and started this to begin with. You were just defending yourself at this point.

"That's funny coming from the queen of trash," she chuckled at you, "You think he wants you?"

"That's not the kind of relationship we have."

"That's right, honey, you stay in denial. Jungkook is just using you as a charity case to make him feel better about himself," Yoona's rude eyes wouldn't leave yours.

"You're pathetic for hanging around him like you do. Now, again, for the last time, switch partners with me."

You gritted your teeth, "I said no."

That's when she hit you. It came out of nowhere, and even though you knew that the conversation was escalating into a full-fledged fight, you never expected her to actually lay hands on you. She went too far; you weren't going to match your nasty behavior.

You could feel your lip bleeding and your ears burning with anger as you turned away from her and began to head for the door.

"Running scared now, aren't you?" She called out, but you ignored her, just wanting to get to Jungkook. Just wanting to get to the one who had become a safe haven for you.

You entered the convinience store with your head hung low. It was ramen day for you two; you ate it at least once a week still.

"Hey, Y/N!" He said, not looking up from his phone for a moment. He seemed happy, but his entire demeanor changed as soon as he saw you. You were honestly holding back tears from the whole encounter and your face was stinging in pain.

"What the-? Who did this to you?!" he exclaimed, standing from his seat and rushing over to you. He carefully took your face in his hands, examining it.

"Yoona," you mumbled, "She got mad that I wouldn't trade partners with her so she could be with you," you explained, trying to hold back your tears.

The whole thing was upsetting because you knew people wouldn't handle it well when they discovered that you and Jungkook were friends. You didn't deserve what happened, and you didn't handle conflict well. It always got to you, and some of Yoona's words had honestly gotten to you. Did Jungkook really look at you like a charity case? Why wouldn't he?

"I'm so sorry, this is all my fault," Jungkook said, "She's just taking it out on you because she's mad about for what happened on Monday. I'm sorry, Y/N," Jungkook's voice was soft as he let go of your face, encircling you into his arms; a warm hug. You didn't feel awkward about it this time as it almost an act of reassurance for you.

Yoona had said that he wouldn't want you, but who was the one being held by him right now? You and her?

You wrapped your arms around his waist and allowed him to continue hugging you for a few moments before you pulled away.

"Your lip is bleeding. Let me buy you a bandange, please?" he asked for your permission to spend money on you, and that was something you were grateful for.

"Please do," you replied, and he let you go completely, hunting through the convenience store isles for the bandaids.

He came a moment later with a small bandaid that could easily go on your lip and stay there comfortably.

He had bought some sanitary napkins as well to clean the blood of your lip.

"Thanks," you said, attempting to take the medical supplies from him. But, he held them back from you.

"Let me do it," he murmured, "Sit down." You did as you were told, sitting in the chair that Jungkook had been sitting in before.

He carefully cleaned the blood off your lip, grimacing the whole time. His whole body seemed tense; he was angry that this had happened to you.

He smoothed the bandaid on, his soft fingers brushing across your lips.

"I'm sorry this happened," he said, looking straight into your eyes. His gaze was so intense you almost felt the need to turn again. "I won't let this happen again."

"Jungkook, it's okay."

"No, it's not. I'm going to protect you."


	10. friends

"Are you still up to coming to my house tonight?" Jungkook asked in between bites of his ramen. After helping you clean up your face, he bought you both food as per usual.

"Yeah, for sure. We have a lot of work we need to get done," you replied, "And I'm really curious about your housemates."

"They're nothing too special," Jungkook chuckled.

"Well, that's not very nice."

"I mean they aren't weird or anything. I doubt anything about them will catch you off guard," Jungkook clarified, finishing off his noodles before you'd even had a chance to eat half of yours. "So, what's your question of the day?"

Of the past couple of weeks, you'd been asking Jungkook one question a day, sometimes personal, sometimes not. This was to hold up your end of the bargain of letting yourself see the real Jungkook. So far, you were honestly liking who he was turning out to be, and you were surprisingly comfortable around him already. The two hugs, however, had been fluke incidents. Skinship wasn't very common between you two other than in those extreme cases.

"Why me?" you asked the question that you'd been wanting to ask since the beginning of the deal. Your curiosity kept growing larger and larger, and you just now decided you couldn't continue ignoring it.

"Why you what?"

"Why did you choose me? To follow? To buy lunch? To take to Jeju?"

Jungkook shifted in his seat, seeming unsure of himself. "I'm not sure this is a question I'm ready to answer."

"How come?" You kept eating your ramen.

"It's kind of a vulnerable type of answer," he revealed, and your curiosity was piqued all over again.

"You've seen me crying," you reminded him, "Doesn't get much more vulnerable than that. It's only fair that you return the gesture."

"I'll think about it. Ask me something else for now."

"Fine. How do you know Yoona?" you were just a curious about this, especially after the way that Yoona had treated you today. You hated that she had managed to draw tears from your eyes.

"I just know her from school," he explained, almost sounding a bit too casual about it. You weren't sure if you believed him.

"Really?" you challenged.

"Really. She's just a random girl that has a crush on me, and she's mad because I don't like her back. I just don't even know her. But I definitely don't like her after what happened today," Jungkook said, his eyes trailing down to your split lip.

"Don't worry about Yoona. She's already hit me so I doubt she's going to bother me again. What else can she do?" you tried to put on a brave face because you were tired of appearing weak in front of him.

"I'll make sure she doesn't bother you again," Jungkook said, seeming bound and determined to defend you.

"Thank you," you managed through embarrassed lips because you wanted to express that you really were grateful that he'd be looking out for you.

Your relationship with Jungkook was something that you found strange, messy, and somewhat too progressive. Things had already changed so much so fast and you pinned that on the fact that you didn't really have any other people in your life. Maybe you were too quick to attach yourself to Jungkook the second he showed you any serious interest because you had nobody else.

Regardless, you really were stuck with him now. That, he hadn't been kidding about.

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆

He picked you up from work and drove you to his house that night so that you wouldn't have to pay for the bus.

And much to your surprise, going to Jungkook's place didn't make you nervous. After spending the night with him in a hotel room, you pretty much felt like you could conquer anything.

"Looks like they're both home," he murmured as he pulled into the driveway, taking notice of the other two cars parked in the garage. Considering the amount of Jungkook's wealth, the house was relatively modest. It was a quaint two-story, painted a pale yellow with some basic lawn plants in the front yard.

"I'm excited to meet your friends," you replied, "Friends are basically an extension of who we are, right? Someone's friends can tell you a lot about them."

"That's true. I hope you get a good impression of them both," he laughed, unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car.

As you two entered the house, you could hear rap music playing, but you couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"Sorry about the noise. Namjoon is working on a new track," Jungkook explained, turning on the lights in the foyer before leading you into the kitchen. "Want something to drink?"

"Just water is fine, thanks," you said, taking a moment to look around. The house was very open and modern on the inside; much nicer than your shabby apartment.

He was getting you a glass when a guy just a bit smaller than Jungkook entered the room, his hair black and parted in the middle, his eyes striking and beautiful.

"Hey, Jimin," Jungkook greeted him, "Could you tell Namjoon-Hyung that we have company? And that he should stop blasting his music so loud."

"Sure, but first I want to meet your friend," Jimin said, his eyes trailing over to you. He smiled at you, and you noticed how kind his eyes were. Something about his entire appearance and essence was compelling. So far, the first impression was a good one.

"I'm Park Jimin," he introduced himself, bowing slightly before reaching out to shake your hand gently. "Nice to meet you. I hope Jungkook has been treating you well."

"Nice to meet you too," you shook his hand, "And yes, Jungkook has been...fine."

"Wow, only 'fine'. I figure I deserve at least a 'good'," he teased you, passing you the glass of water.

"Don't listen to him," Jimin chuckled, "Where are you guys going to work?"

"I figure in my room?" he presented his words more as a question rather than a definitive statement.

"That's fine," you shrugged.

"Well, I'm going out here in a minute, but I'll grab Hyung for you before I leave," Jimin said, before giving you another brief smile before leaving the room.

"He seems nice," you said, trying not to gush at Jimin in front of Jungkook.

"He is," Jungkook agreed, getting himself his own glass of water.

Jimin reentered the kitchen just a few moments later, "He's too deep in the creative process right now to be interrupted."

"That's fine, we'll catch up later. Hopefully, the music won't seem quite so loud upstairs," Jungkook said, "Where are you going?"

"I have a gig," Jimin said, and you wondered what kind of gig he was talking about. Unfortunately, the conversation ended before Jimin had a reason to elaborate any further. 

"I gotta go, I don't wanna be late," Jimin said, picking up a jacket that'd been resting on the back of one of the kitchen chairs and putting it on. "Nice to meet you, Y/N," he said, and then he was off. 

"Shall we?" Jungkook asked, gesturing toward the staircase. 

"Sure." And so you followed him upstairs to his room, unable to comprehend the fact that you didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Jungkook really was becoming your friend, and that was a good feeling.


	11. ease

~Jungkook's POV~

He led you up to his room after brewing two cups of hot coffee. His room was the largest in the house due to the fact that he paid the most for rent. Jimin and Namjoon agreed that it was only fair for Jungkook to receive the master bedroom.

"Watch your step," he said as you followed him up the stairs, walking behind him. He felt a small sense of deja vu from when he had told you to watch your step while exiting the plane. If he was being honest, your fall had terrified him, and he had barely managed to catch you. That day could've ended very differently, and he was still slightly shaken up about it even though he would never admit that.

"Could you open the door for me? First one on the left," Jungkook asked since his hands were full.

"Sure," you stepped in front of him, opening the door to reveal Jungkook's room. It wasn't anything extravagant, much to your likely surprise. It was homey and cozy, with tan walls and simple black furniture. The only thing extravagant about it was the King-sized bed.

"It'll be easiest to sit on the floor so we can spread out all of our papers," Jungkook said, making his way to the middle of the room, setting the coffee down on coasters on the carpeted floor. "I really hope I don't knock this over," he chuckled.

You, however, were hanging back by the entrance, seeming unsure of what to do next.

"Come in, Y/N," Jungkook said, not laughing even though he wanted to. He'd been trying to go easier on you lately and not tease you so much. Truth was, after the nightmare incident, he realized that you had a very soft side to you that he hadn't seen before. It made him want to be kind to you, to protect you.

You entered the room after being invited in, sitting on the floor across from Jungkook. "Your room is nice. Very comfortable feeling," you observed as you reached for your cup of coffee.

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it."

"So, where do you wanna start?" you asked, setting your cup back down.

"How about with the business projections for the next 5 years? That'll be a good warmup before we get to the really complicated stuff," Jungkook suggested. Truthfully, he had a bit of an agenda; he wanted to try and get done with the work as soon as possible so you two could just have some time to hang out and talk. Lunch hour every day was great but he longed to get to know you better, and the only way to do that was to spend more time with you.

This project was the perfect excuse to do just that.

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆

~Your POV~

You could feel his gaze on you, warm and kind of intense and heavy, for the entirety of the time you two were working together. You'd noticed that his eyes had grown soft at you over the past couple of weeks.

It was around 11 pm when you two finished working on the first part of the project, but you didn't really want to go home just yet. You were actually enjoying just hanging out with him even though you were working on homework.

The lighting in his room was soft, a bunch of lamps on but the overhead light turned off. Which now that it was completely dark outside, it was growing hard to see the tiny words and numbers on the spreadsheets of information you'd been analyzing. You sighed, setting your papers down on the ground.

You moved over to sit next to Jungkook who was leaning against the edge of his bed, his eyes looking tired.

"So, about that question, I asked you earlier," you started slowly, your voice quiet and tired.

"Hmm?"

"Are you going to answer it?" You sincerely hoped he would. Something about the mood of the environment you were both in was one that could inspire honesty. Comfort in general and low lighting tended to allow people to be honest when they otherwise couldn't be. And you were dying to hear Jungkook's explanation and why it was so "vulnerable" for him.

"Do you really wanna know?" he murmured.

"I do."

"I've had my eye on you for a while now, Y/N," he began, pausing for a moment. "I've watched you work hard in class, I've seen you go buy ramen every day for lunch, and I've seen you skip it all together. I've watched you be kind to other people when they were never kind to you. I've watched you sit quietly alone because no one else would give you the time of day. It made me care...It made me want to help," Jungkook explained quietly, eyes barely meeting yours.

"Jungkook..."

"So, that's why I followed you that day. I wanted to help. I wanted to be kind to you because no one else would," his voice was practically a whisper.

"Am I...Am I just a project for you? A charity case?" you asked, your voice small. Yoona's words were echoing around in your mind and your insecurities were becoming blatant.

"No, of course not," Jungkook said quickly, "That's not at all what I meant."

"Okay..."

"Really, Y/N," Jungkook's eyes were staring straight into yours. "I wanted you as my friend because you seemed like a good person. I wanted to treat you with kindness not to make myself feel good but to make you feel good," he said.

You smiled at him, a soft, gentle smile; one that you really meant. "Thank you, Jungkook," you said, "Thank you for wanting to be there for me...I just don't understand why...I'm not special. I'm average and you're...you're you. I'm poor and you're rich. You're popular and I'm not. Why care about trash like me?" your face grew into a frown. Yoona's words had gotten to you more than you thought that they had. 

"Don't ever call yourself that again," Jungkook narrowed his eyes at you, "You are not trash. You are a beautiful person that has a lot of wonderful qualities; I'm just barely skimming the surface of who you are and how amazing you are. You dropped everything to come to help me when really, you could've just as easily said no. I couldn't have forced you onto that plane, but because you're a kind person, you dealt with me and my attitude anyway."

You were quiet because yet again he had put you at a loss for words. You two just looked at each other for a few short moments, relishing in the moment. 

"So don't ever think that you aren't good enough or that you aren't worthy of being around me."

You nodded. 

"Because you are."


	12. souls

~Jungkook's POV~

TWO WEEKS LATER

Jungkook wouldn't let you be in the class alone anymore. He made sure that he met you first, walked in together, and left with you so that Yoona wouldn't bother you anymore. He knew that she wouldn't try to do anything to you in front of him because it would be condemning for her.

You and Jungkook continued to have lunch together every weekday, and you kept going to house on Tuesday and Thursday nights to work on the business project. You had become friendly with Jimin, but you'd still yet to meet Namjoon because he was always in the studio working on something that time of day. Jungkook wanted to scold him for not making the time to meet you because Jungkook cared what his Hyungs thought of you. It wasn't like you were his girlfriend, but you were someone important to him, and he wanted his Hyungs to like you too.

"So," Jungkook said, throwing his pen down. You two were sitting on his floor like usual, just having finished up the next phase of the project. It was nearly midnight this time, however, as you both had let time get away from you.

"So, what?" you asked, moving like you'd gotten in the habit of doing to sit by him, leaning up against the side of his bed.

"Will you go somewhere with me tomorrow? Or do you have to work?"

"I technically have to work, but I could call in sick. I never miss shifts so I'm sure they'd let me out of it," you said, but then hesitated a moment, "I'll have to check my bank account and make sure I can afford to skip. You paying for my lunch every day has helped me a lot, but I'm still not exactly doing super good money-wise."

"Y/N, if you ever need help with rent or something, you can just ask me," he reminded you. It wasn't the first time he'd said this to you.

"I know, I just don't want to have to take money from you. It doesn't seem fair."

"In what way?"

"You've been giving me so much and all it feels like I do is take. I don't like feeling that way," you explained, picking at a loose thread on the sleeve of your sweater. He found you concerns endearing.

"I don't look at it that way. I look at it as you're a friend that's struggling and I have the means to help out. That's not freeloading," Jungkook argued, desperately not wanting you to feel that way.

"Okay...I promise I'll ask for help if I really need it, but for now I wanna try to take care of things on my own with the exception of you buying my lunch," you grinned at him, and he almost a felt a slight blush coming on. You were cute.

"Good."

"So, where are you wanting to go tomorrow?" You asked.

"Jimin is performing at a small cafe just a few blocks from University. I thought you might like to go hear him sing with me. It's good to support him and the cafe, and I also just think you would like it," Jungkook replied, hoping that you would be on board to go with him.

Truthfully, he was dying to spend more time with you in a non-school related setting. It'd been a solid 5 weeks or so of you two hanging out during lunch, and Jungkook was feeling himself begin to develop deeper feelings for you. The only way to supplement those feelings with confessing to you (which he absolutely did not want to do yet- it was far too soon and he feared scaring you off) was to spend more time with you. He felt that in some ways, you too were kindred souls.

"You know what? That actually sounds fun. I'll double-check on the money thing, but I'm pretty sure it'll be okay. I'd really like to go with you," you smiled at him again, and felt like he'd been punched in the chest. Again, you were cute.

"I'm glad! I think it'll be a good time, and Jimin will be really happy that we're both coming. I think he might like you a little too much."

"What, are you jealous?" you teased him, and for once, you actually managed to make him blush rather him being the one making you blush. 

"N-No I mean-"

"I'm kidding," you said, laughing and rolling your eyes all at the same time. 

He grimaced, but then couldn't help but smile when he looked at you again. 

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆

~Your POV~

Jungkook picked you up from your apartment around 6 the following night. Truth was, you were barely going to scrape by for rent now that you were ditching work, but it was well worth getting to spend the time with Jungkook. Also, you'd been really curious about Jimin's career and you were excited to hear him perform.

"Ready to go?" he asked as he met you at the door of your apartment. You closed it quickly, embarrassed by the small and messy space that you lived in. You had yet to invite him, and he didn't ask about it.

"Yep," you began walking with him out to his car that he'd parked on the street.

"You look nice," he said, catching you completely off-guard. You stuttered out a measly "thank you", eliciting a grin from him.

"Is it okay if I compliment you?" he chuckled.

"Yes, I'm just not used to people being nice to me," you laughed right along with him, the awkward feelings that used to be between you and Jungkook slowly dissipating away.

"Well, get used to it, buttercup," he smiled, and you figured you were blushing again. Even though the awkwardness may have been gone, Jungkook knew exactly which buttons to push to get you feeling embarrassed. He hadn't used that nickname since you were in Jeju with him, but it appeared as if it was making a comeback.

You two climbed in the car, and Jungkook said that it would only take a couple of minutes to get to the cafe.

While sitting in the car with Jungkook like you'd done several times by now, you had a few realizations. First, you realized that your life had become increasingly better since he came into it. Second, you realized that he wasn't at all who you thought he was, in a good way. Third, you realized that the real Jungkook was someone that you not only respected but enjoyed being around. And finally, you realized that maybe you were developing feelings for him too.

That thought was scary because you knew there was no way his feelings reciprocated yours.

I'll just have to hide it, you thought.

I'll just have to keep it a secret.


	13. tonight

~Jungkook's POV~

The cafe where Jimin was performing was moderately crowded by the time you and Jungkook arrived. You managed to grab seats near the back, both of you hoping you'd be able to see Jimin over the crowd.

"Want a coffee?" Jungkook asked you after you had sat down.

"I'm good," you shook your head and he narrowed his eyes at you.

"Do you really not want one or are you trying to save my money?"

"I really don't want one," you chuckled, "thank you, though."

"Alright," he said, sitting down beside you. "Jimin's performance should be starting relatively soon." He glanced at the time on his phone. It was just after 8 pm, and the sun was already almost completely down outside.

You looked cute tonight even though your clothes were simple; a black sweater and some jeans. He appreciated that you didn't always feel the need to dress up or have a full face of makeup on all the time. He felt like he was getting to see more of you really were when you didn't put so much thought into your appearance. He respected you for that.

"Are all these people really here to see Jimin?" you asked, interrupting Jungkook's thoughts.

"Yep. He's pretty popular around here. I'm actually surprised you haven't heard of him before," Jungkook said, "He does these kinds of shows at least a few times a week."

"Well, I'm looking forward to hearing him. Do you guys ever sing together?"

"Sometimes. Our voices do compliment each other pretty well. Jimin and I just have different goals."

"In what way?" you started to ask, but Jimin entered the front of the cafe where the makeshift stage was set up. A guitarist came along with him, but no other instrumentalists did.

"I'll tell you later," Jungkook said, his eyes looking at your hands that were resting in front of you on the table. He wished he could hold them. If he was honest, he wished he could hold you. He'd only been able to do so twice, and both were in unique circumstances, but he missed the feeling of you in his arms. He enjoyed having you there, especially if it was to comfort you. He loved feeling like he could help you and make you feel better.

"Good evening, everyone. My name is Park Jimin and I'll be singing for you tonight. Let's go," he said, his voice calm. Jungkook was proud of him for being brave and singing in front of people even though it still made Jimin nervous.

You made eye contact with Jungkook for a short moment and you both smiled at each other, until being distracted as Jimin began singing.

The first few songs were beautiful, just as Jungkook had expected and you seemed captivated by the performance. But there was one song that changed everything. It was a cover, not something originally written by Jimin himself.

Jungkook glanced over at you and noticed your entire demeanor had changed. You looked much more serious than you had before, leaving Jungkook confused.

"You couldn't be more different than me

So each time we agree

I feel fulfilled

You always end up stickin' to me

Somehow, somehow

You are stuck with me

So I guess I'll be sticking with

You."

That's when you stood up. Jimin was right in the middle of the final chorus, and yet you were getting up and heading for the door. Jungkook rushed after you, surely gaining stares from several people including Jimin himself.

"Y/N," Jungkook called after you after you both outside. You were walking down the sidewalk at a rather fast pace, and he was struggling to keep up. He started to run. "Y/N!"

When he finally managed to catch up to you, he grabbed you by the shoulder, stopping you and turning you around to face him. "What's wrong? Where are you going?"

He saw the tears then, streaming out of your eyes and running all over your cheeks. This concerned him even more as he desperately wanted to understand what was wrong and make it better for you.

"I just-" you started, but your voice broke, and you were crying even harder. "T-That song, I just-"

"You just what?" he hadn't let go of your shoulder.

"It made me think about us, and I...." you trailed off, trying to wipe your tears away but they were falling too fast.

"Y/N, talk to me," Jungkook pleaded with you, absolutely hating to see you in this much pain. He felt like he was going to start crying if you kept on.

"It made me think about the two of us because you're always saying I'm stuck with you," you hiccuped, "And I just, I have all these feelings for you that I don't know what to do with because I know you don't feel anything back and I-"

"Baby, calm down," Jungkook let go of your shoulder and pulled you into his arms instead. "Stop crying, please, you have it all wrong."

"I-I know you don't feel the same and that's okay and I don't want to ruin our friendship because it means so much to me now, but Jungkook, I-I don't know what to do," you cried into his shoulder, his heart aching at the sight of you so distressed. This was a million times worse than when you had your nightmare.

"Stop assuming so much," he said into your ear, "You're wrong."

"W-What do you mean?" you stuttered, clutching the fabric of his sweater. "I know I'm being ridiculous and I'm probably ruining our friendship as we speak but-"

Jungkook pulled away slightly from you then, one arm still around your waist, one hand going up to cup your cheek. "I said, stop assuming so much."

His lips came down on yours then, and even though he was trying to be gentle he felt so much emotion that it was difficult for him to be. The kiss was rougher than he intended it to be as his mouth parted open and yours did as well, your breath as his lips met yours sharp and surprised.

He squeezed his eyes shut as he held you tighter, only moving away from your lips for a short moment to allow you both to breathe before meeting you again. He tried to slow down, to allow his lips to be softer against yours but he was so caught up in everything that it felt impossible to do so.

He pulled away a few moments later, still holding onto you.

"W-What was that?" you asked, out of breath.

"It's called a kiss, Y/N. I just kissed you. Deal with it."


	14. mine

~Your POV~

"It's called a kiss, Y/N. I just kissed you. Deal with it," Jungkook breathed, his eyes not leaving yours.

You blinked, momentarily stunned by both his words and his actions. You definitely had not seen that coming. Sure, Jungkook had always been somewhat of a flirt, but you figured that was how he treated everybody; terms of endearment and all. Apparently, that wasn't actually the case. He'd been calling you those things all along because he felt something for you. 

"Y-You like me too?" you asked even though the answer was obvious. You just wanted to hear him say it out loud. You wanted to hear him admit it to your face.

"Yes, I like you too," he laughed, "Have I not been obvious about it?"

"You're kinda hard to read..." you looked down at your feet, feeling stupid for crying so much over him when he felt the same as you did all along. His hand was still holding your waist, and he pulled you closer to him, encircling you into another hug.

"I wasn't planning on confessing to you for a while, but I would've sooner if I knew that you were feeling this upset about it," he explained, smoothing your hair, "And I wasn't planning on kissing you so soon, either. But I figured that would be the only way to shut you up since you weren't listening to me."

"I just can't believe I got so emotional over it all. That really caught me off guard," you admitted into his chest, the scent of his cologne filling up your nose. You realized that you felt undeniably at ease.

"You got emotional because you're a caring person," Jungkook said softly, "You got emotional because you care about me."

"You're right," you said, beginning to shiver even though Jungkook's arms were warm. It was cold out tonight, and you hadn't brought a coat.

"Let me take you home, you're cold," Jungkook said, pulling away from you. "I'm sorry I don't have a jacket to give you."

"No, it's okay. I...I don't really want to go home yet. We should at least wait and talk to Jimin after the show is over," You said.

"He's probably wrapping up now. We could just meet him back at the house if you want," Jungkook suggested, and you nodded in agreement. You two began making your way back to Jungkook's G-Wagon, his soft fingers reaching for yours. You intertwined your hand with his, surprised at how comfortable and natural it already felt to do such a thing with him.

Upon getting in the car and turning the heater on, Jungkook paused for a few moments before driving off. The interior lights had faded out so it was just you and Jungkook sitting in the dark. You could barely see the outline of him.

"You know...I feel grateful that I get to be around you," he started quietly, "You've made my life so much better."

"You've done the same for me," you whispered back, being completely emotionally vulnerable with him on purpose for once. You were choosing to be open and vulnerable because you felt safe with him now. 

"I want you to...I want you to be my girlfriend," he said, his voice low. 

"Really?"

"Yes. I just want you to be mine. To not have eyes for any other guys," he said. 

"That'll be easy," you chuckled, lightening what had grown into a rather serious mood. 

"So you'll be mine then?" 

"Yes."

He leaned over the console then, reaching out for you. You leaned in to meet him in the middle, one of his hands on the back of your neck. And then he was kissing you again, but it felt different this time. It was slow and sensual, much calmer than your first kiss with him. His lips moved slowly and carefully against yours as if he was trying purposefully to not be rough anymore. 

"Let's go," he said when pulled away, taking off down the street and back toward his house.

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆ 

Jimin got home just a few minutes after you and Jungkook did, coming from through the door looking content and happy with himself. 

"Jimin, you did such an amazing job!" you exclaimed, going and giving him a high-five. He grinned at you. 

"Thanks, Y/N!"

"Really, I haven't ever seen you look so comfortable on stage," Jungkook added, giving Jimin a high-five as well. 

"I don't know, I just had a really good feeling about tonight. I knew from the very first song that it was gonna be a good gig," Jimin beamed, going to the fridge to get himself a glass of water. "But, I have a question, though."

"What's up?" you asked. 

"Why did you two leave right in the middle of stuck with me? I'm not going to lie, it was distracting," Jimin chuckled. 

"Want me to tell him?" Jungkook raised his eyebrows at you. 

"You can," you gave him permission, grateful that he had asked you to begin with. You liked that he was respectful like that. You found it to be an attractive quality. 

"Y/N and I are dating now," Jungkook started, "The song got us both a little emotional, which led to some kissing outside, which led to us being together now."

Jimin gushed, "So basically my singing is responsible for getting you two together, right?"

"Technically, yeah," you giggled and Jimin exclaimed, "YES!"

"I'm a matchmaker," he said, "Even though I didn't actually match you guys up," he laughed. 

"Oh, shut up," Jungkook laughed along with Jimin, rolling his eyes. "But you really did do a good job tonight. I mean it."

"Thank you," Jimin grinned, "I'm exhausted, though. So, I'm gonna go to bed. Y/N, good to see you."

"Goodnight, Jimin," you said, and he vanished up the stairs. 

"Wanna watch a movie or something?" Jungkook asked after Jimin had left. "We have a big TV in the living room."

"Sounds good to me."

And so you and Jungkook sat cuddled up on the couch watching some random movie that you didn't even know the name of, you tucked into his side. You felt explicitly content that night as you sat with Jungkook, not really paying attention to the movie at all. You were too busy replaying the night's events over in your mind, memorizing the feeling Jungkook's lips against yours, and blushing as you thought about it all. 

You were Jungkook's girlfriend, something you never would've thought would happen. Just 7 weeks or so ago you and Jungkook were practically strangers, and now you were closer than ever before. 

And that was a good feeling.


	15. growing pains

Throughout the following few weeks, after you and Jungkook had confessed your feelings for one another, things began to slowly shift and change. While you and Jungkook remained in your normal routine of spending lunch hour together and nights at his house a few times a week, the general chemistry between the two of you was different.

It was like Jungkook was no longer afraid to move, to speak around you, and you the same around him. Now that both your feelings were completely out in the open, it seemed like being around each other was so much easier because neither of you had to wonder how the other felt or doubt each other.

Your relationship with home was growing strong, and very quickly. Spending so much time around one another allowed a lot of room for growth, and generally made you both feel much happier.

So, really, your bond with Jungkook only grew stronger, and even though he was now your boyfriend, he was still your best friend as well. You loved to feel so close to someone, and you didn't mind kissing him often either.

Overall, things appeared to be looking up, and everything was finally going in the right direction. You were happier and more content with life than you'd been in a long time, and it was all thanks to him.

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆

You were at work waitressing that Friday night, counting down the minutes until your shift was over so that you could go to Jungkook's house. You two were going to have a movie night with Jimin, and you'd be looking forward to it all week. Your favorite nights with Jungkook were the ones that were relaxed and comfortable.

Your feet were tired, your eyes were tired, you were tired. You just wanted to get to Jungkook's house and be able to relax and spend some quality time with him. But, you still had twenty minutes left in your shift. Only twenty more minutes and you were home free.

You heard new customers enter, so you got ready to waitress your final table before getting to leave. And your heart practically fell out of your chest when you saw who that customer would be; Yoona herself. You looked around frantically for a coworker who could potentially wait on Yoona instead of you, but they were all busy with customers already. So, you put on your brave face and went up to her.

"Hi, welcome to Wine Wood," you said through gritted teeth, "Right this way." Yoona was alone, which was a strange thing. Wine Wood was an intimate restaurant that was typically used for either business affairs or dates, so it was relatively rare to see a customer alone.

"Y/N," she said, a fake smile plastered on her face. "I didn't know you worked here. What a nice surprise."

You remained quiet, not wanting to engage in conversation with her that didn't pertain to your job. You weren't required to small talk with people; you were just required to take their order.

"What can I get you to drink?" you asked, pulling out your pen and pad of paper.

"Red wine," she said, sitting down in her chair.

"Got it," you mumbled, before beginning to walk away to get her drink.

"Y/N," Yoona called out, "A word before you take my order?" she asked. You looked around and noticed the floor manager roaming around, and you knew this what not the place to make another scene with Yoona.

"I don't know if that's a good idea..." You trailed off.

"I promise I'm not going to hit you again. That was low of me, and I'm sorry," she said, but her tone didn't convince you to believe her. She seemed too smug; like she had something up her sleeve. She must've heard about you and Jungkook dating by now, and you'd been waiting on her to retaliate.

"Okay," you complied, and Yoona gestured for you to sit down across from her. You took another glance at the floor manager who was starting to walk in the opposite direction. You sat down.

"I've been immature," she started, "I shouldn't have been so harsh to you about Jungkook. I was just feeling a little jealous that day," Yoona said, picking at her freshly painted nails. It made you cringe.

"Okay," you said, waiting for her to continue. You didn't believe her apology because she didn't seem genuine at all. You just kept waiting for the punch line. Or the physical punch. Either one would've been more believable than her attempt at an apology.

"You see, I have really strong feelings for Jungkook because he was a significant part of my past," Yoona continued, and you furrowed your eyebrows. Jungkook had told you that he barely knew Yoona; that he just knew her from class.

"What do you mean he was a big part of your past?" you asked because you had to know what she meant by that.

"Oh honey, has he really not told you?"

"Told me what?"

"Jungkook and I dated for a year."

Your blood ran cold and it felt like your heart had fallen into your stomach. Jungkook and Yoona...dated? For a year? It didn't make sense, not based off of what Jungkook had told you before.

"Jungkook told me that he barely knew you," you said, your voice far too quiet.

"Well, he lied," she said, her eyes filled with pity. You cringed again.

"You're lying to me," you said, "You're just trying to get in my head, aren't you? Because you want Jungkook for yourself and you can't handle the fact that he's my boyfriend." You were grasping at straws here, hoping and praying that she was the one that had lied, not Jungkook.

"If you don't believe me, ask him yourself. Or even better, ask Jimin or Namjoon," Yoona shrugged. You felt sick. She even knew who he lived with, and she wasn't afraid of you asking him about it.

"I...I...." you didn't know what to say. No words would come out. Your mind was a muddled mess. 

"I just wanted to apologize and I thought you should know that Jungkook and I have a history," she smiled a condescending smile, making the entire situation feel worse than it already did. "Now, Y/N. My wine, please?"

You stood from your chair, your legs feeling shaky and weak. You weren't sure what you were feeling, but you knew that confusion and anger were of the most prominent of emotions. Jungkook had dated Yoona and flat out lied to you about it. Was he even being genuine this entire time? 

You didn't know, you just knew that you were hurt and he had a lot of explaining to do.


	16. dirty laundry

Your shift was over before Yoona left, but you didn't engage in conversation with her again after serving her the wine. You managed to grab one of your coworkers and asked her to cover the table for you so you wouldn't have to face Yoona again.

Your head was spinning with all the information you'd been given, and you were desperately trying to unravel rather she was telling the truth or not. There was no way to know for sure without asking Jungkook or Jimin or Namjoon themselves, and the thought terrified you. Because, what if Yoona hadn't been lying? What if Jungkook really had lied to you? How were you going to handle that? Would you break up with him over that? You didn't want to...But your trust would be majorly betrayed if it turned out that Jungkook really had lied. 

"Hey, babe," Jungkook greeted you with a kiss on the cheek outside of the restaurant, opening your car door for you to climb in. He always picked you up after work if you were supposed to go to his house so that you didn't have to walk or pay for the bus. 

You were stiff as greeted you only muttering a "hi" before getting in the car. 

"Is something wrong? Bad day at work?" he asked as he started to drive toward his house which was only about 10 minutes away from Wine Wood. 

"I'm fine," you grumbled, unsure of how to broach the subject with him. You wanted to be forward and just lay it all out on the table but it scared you to do so. 

"You don't seem fine," he pouted, "Are you sure feeling up to hanging out tonight?"

You were quiet for a moment, considering your options. 

"Actually, I'm not fine," you said, keeping your eyes on the dash in front of you. You were glad it was dark outside so you didn't have to look at Jungkook's face as you two were likely about to get into a really big fight. You could feel tears threatening your eyes in advance as you absolutely hated confrontation; especially with someone you cared about as much as Jungkook. 

"What's wrong?" he immediately sounded much more concerned than he did before, "Should I pull over?" 

"Let's just talk at your house," you said, crossing your arms and leaning back into the seat. You didn't want to distract him while he was driving as that was rather dangerous. 

"You're scaring me," Jungkook said a few minutes later, breaking the silence. 

You didn't reply. 

Upon arriving at Jungkook's house, you asked if you two could go up to his room to talk. You didn't want Jimin or Namjoon to have to overhear everything. 

"What's going on?" Jungkook asked, closing his bedroom door and turning to face where you were standing in the middle of his room. You slowly went over and sat down on the edge of his bed. 

"Yoona showed up at Wine Wood today," you started slowly. 

"Did she hurt you again? Are you okay?" Jungkook took a few steps closer as if he was coming to examine you for injuries but you held your hand up, stopping him. 

"No, she didn't hurt me. But, she had some interesting things to say," your face grew into a grimace, and you felt yourself starting to get really mad. You tried to throttle the anger, however, because you were still secretly hoping that Yoona had been lying to you. 

"What'd she say?" Jungkook's face paled as he sat down beside you on his bed. 

"She said..." you shook your head, biting your lip and hating the fact you were having to have this conversation right now. 

"She said, what?"

"She came to apologize for treating me so poorly..."

"Wow. I mean, that's good, right?" he seemed a bit more positive, but you cut him off. 

"I'm not finished."

"Okay," he said, eyes not leaving yours. 

"She told me that you two had dated for a year," the tears were spilling over now and you silently cursed yourself for being so quick to break in front of him again. "Please tell me it's not true," you whispered. 

Jungkook's face visibly fell, and he was completely silent. 

"Jungkook, please, just tell me the truth. Was she lying?" you wiped away your tears, trying to stop crying. 

He was quiet for a few more moments before finally opening his mouth. "She wasn't lying. We did date. And I'm so sorry," he whispered. 

You felt like the breath had been knocked out of your lungs. 

"What?"

"We dated two years ago and broke up last year. I really regret all the time I spent with her. I just didn't know she was such a bad person," he began explaining, but you shook your head. 

"Do you really think I'm mad because you dated another girl?" 

Jungkook blinked at you, clearly confused. 

"I'm mad because you lied to me, Jungkook. You lied straight to my face without a second thought about it. And after all this time and drama with Yoona, you didn't think it was necessary to be up front and honest with me about your prior relationship with her?" you were practically ranting now, all of the emotions rushing out of you. You were crying still, but you were able to still sound angry and serious through your tears. 

"Y/N, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, but I had my reasons not to tell you and I-"

"I don't want to hear it. Not now. You lied Jungkook, about something pretty major. You dated her for a year, and that's a pretty significant amount of time. I just can't understand why you would keep this from me."

"I didn't want you to feel insecure around me again. You were finally getting comfortable with me, and I didn't want you to look at me differently after finding out that I dated Yoona," Jungkook's words were swift as if he was trying to get his explanation out before you cut him off again. 

You were quiet for a moment, digesting his words. 

"This is all too much right now," you sniffed, "I just want you to take me home for now."

"Y/N, I-"

"Please, stop talking and just take me home," you stood from his bed, wiping your face with your hands one more time. 

"Okay," he said quietly.

And so the two of you walked out the door and to the car, driving the short distance to your house without a single other word being spoken. 

/////

A/N: drama alert !!! so, i want to hear your opinions. should you forgive jungkook right away, or do you think you should make him suffer a little bit for lying to you about yoona? tell me in the comments :p


	17. love lockdown

You didn't talk to Jungkook all weekend. He tried to call you a couple of times but you let it go to voicemail, not wanting to have a serious conversation on the phone. You knew you were going to have to face him at school, and you were fine with that. 

You didn't want to ignore him forever; you just needed a little time to get your thoughts and emotions together. You knew you probably weren't being completely fair, but you didn't want to talk to him about it again while still so upset and say something that you would regret. The only solid conclusion you came to is that you weren't going to break up with him over it. That, you didn't want. 

"Hey," he said, his voice sounding dull and quiet as he sat down next to you in class that Monday. 

"Hi," you replied just as quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"Are you doing okay?"

"I'm fine," you said curtly, still not looking from where your eyes were focused on your fidgeting hands.

"I understand if you don't want to go to lunch with me today, but please at least take this," Jungkook said, sliding a few thousand won over to you. You didn't want to accept the bills, but you had no other money for lunch.

"Thanks," you said, grabbing them and stuffing them quickly into your wallet.

"Is there anything I can do to make this better?" he asked, his voice sounding a bit desperate. You had to admit, you liked that he was that eager to get back in your good graces. It showed he really cared.

You sighed, not wanting to stay in this awkward fight any longer than you had to, but not wanting to let him off the hook so fast for lying about something that was relatively major. "I'll come over later and talk to you about it if you want," you offered.

"Yes, please do," he was quick to accept your offer, "You can come over during lunch hour so you don't have to stay up late after work." Even in the midst of a small couple's spat, Jungkook was still looking out for you. And you appreciated that. His consideration made it difficult for you to stay mad at him, but you had to keep reminding yourself of what he did. 

"Fine," you said, and then Professor Akins came in and lecture began, shutting you both up for the next hour.

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked you two entered his house after lecture was over. Even though it was lunch hour, you didn't even feel hungry because your stomach was tied up in knots. 

"I'm okay," you shook your head. 

"No one else is home, so let's just sit in the living room, yeah?" he said. You followed him to the living room, you two sitting across from each other on the two couches. You felt quite mature as you sat down to talk about your problems. You figured this was how healthy relationships were supposed to function. But, then again, Jungkook had lied to you, and that wasn't healthy at all. 

You both sat in silence for a few moments, waiting on the other person to begin speaking. Jungkook ended up going first. 

"I'm really sorry," his voice was a whisper, "I know that I made the wrong decision even though it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't a good idea," you crossed your arms, "It was a terrible idea."

"I know that now. I was just trying to protect you," Jungkook said quietly. 

"Don't justify your actions by saying it was all for my sake," you shook your head at him, "That doesn't make this any better."

"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to justify anything. I was wrong for lying to you about it to begin with, no matter what my intentions were," he apologized, and you felt some of your anger beginning to dissipate. But, you still had a few questions to ask before you felt okay with moving on from the whole situation. 

"Do you still have any feelings for her? Be honest, because the truth will come out one way or another."

"I don't, I promise. I'm the one that broke up with her," his response seemed genuine. 

"Why did you end things with her?"

"She got really possessive of me. She was always angry when I would spend time with Jimin or Namjoon over her, and she wouldn't even let me work with other girls at school on projects. That's why she had such an extreme reaction when you said no to switching partners with her," Jungkook explained, and things started to make a bit more sense than they did before. 

"I understand that, I wouldn't want to be in a relationship like either," you said, "Did you have any other reasons for lying about it?"

"No, it really was just so you wouldn't think differently of me. She doesn't have a good reputation, and I didn't want you to look down on me. That, and because I didn't want you to feel insecure knowing that I had a recent ex-girlfriend," Jungkook said, repeating his own words from before. His answers were consistent, letting you know that he was telling the truth. 

"Okay..."

"I promise I won't ever lie to you again. Especially over something like this," Jungkook said, "I don't ever want to betray your trust or make you question me and my intentions. That hurts me, and I don't like it." His entire demeanor was serious and rigid feeling. He wasn't kidding about this. He meant it and that was clear. Your eyes softened toward him. 

"You better not," you said, your voice about serious before softening, "I forgive you. I don't like being mad at you."

"Thank you. I know you could've broken up with me over this, so thank you for giving me the chance to explain myself," Jungkook stood from the couch, going over to you. "I really am sorry."

"I know you are. It's okay," you said, standing up as well. 

"Can I hug you now?" he asked permission, and you couldn't help but smile at him. He was just so cute, and honestly, quite respectful. 

"You can," you gave him the permission he was looking for, and he didn't hesitate. He wrapped his arms around your middle, pulling you close to him quickly. 

"I know it's only been 3 days, but I missed you a lot," he whispered into your ear. 

You giggled, "I've missed you too. Fighting is no fun."

He pulled back slightly, "Can I kiss you now?"

"You can."

And he did.


	18. birthday

Your birthday arrived a week after you made up with Jungkook about everything that had happened with Yoona. Ater talking with Jungkook about everything, you honestly weren't mad anymore. But, you had noticed yourself still feeling a bit awkward and paranoid about the fact that Yoona really was a significant person of his past. Turns out, a lot of Yoona's actions, while terrible, were somewhat justified in the sense that he once had reciprocated feelings for her. That thought kind of made you feel sick. Regardless, things were moving in the right direction with you and Jungkook otherwise. You'd survived your first argument with him, and you were honestly feeling quite mature.

"Are you ready to go?" Jungkook asked you. You were sitting on the couch with him, curled into his side while chatting with Jimin casually. Jungkook had made reservations at a restaurant to celebrate your birthday, but he wouldn't tell you where. He just said it was kind of far, so the two of you would have to leave by four in the afternoon to get there on time.

"Sure," you said, reluctantly leaving your spot next to him on the couch. He got up as well, running into the kitchen for a second.

"See you later, Jimin," you said.

"Have fun, you two," he grinned, "I totally ship it."

You laughed at him, before turning to see Jungkook holding a gift bag. "You'll need to open this before we go."

"What is it?"

"You'll see," he smiled, handing the bag over to you.

You took the tissue paper off the top and felt your fingers hit a piece of fabric. You discovered it was a dress as you pulled it out of the bag. It was simple but elegant, short and black.

"What's this?" you asked, holding it up with a smile on your face.

"Your outfit for tonight. I'll need to change too," Jungkook grinned.

"Where are we going?" you asked for the billionth time, but he shook his head saying, "You'll see."

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆

It wasn't until Jungkook pulled at up at the same small municipal airport from before that you realized where you were going. Jeju, to the restaurant where you and Jungkook first had a nice meal together.

"Jungkook, you didn't have to," you gushed, reaching out to hold his hand as you two began to walk up the stairs to board the plane. He was in a suit; the nicest clothes you'd ever seen him wear. He looked amazing, so much so, that you almost blushed every time you looked at him. Your boyfriend was practically a model, and you felt lucky to have him all over again. 

"I know I didn't have to. I wanted to," he said seriously, squeezing your hand a bit as you boarded the plane.

"This means a lot to me, but I feel bad that you're spending all this money," you said, making yourself comfortable in the big, cushy seat.

"You shouldn't feel bad. I have the means to treat you to something nice on your birthday, okay? Let me," Jungkook said, his voice sounding particularly smooth and soothing to your ears that night even though you couldn't quite figure out why.

"Thank you," you said as he sat down in the seat beside you, pushing the middle armrest up and opening up his arms. 

"Come here," he murmured. You scooted closer to him, leaning into his side as he slid an arm around your waist. He twisted slightly, kissing your forehead gently before whispering, "Happy birthday, Y/N."

"Thank you for taking care of me," you whispered back, relaxing against him, and eventually, drifted off to sleep. 

☆.｡.:* .｡.:*☆ 

~Jungkook's POV~

You ended up falling asleep in Jungkook's arms during the hour-long flight down to Jeju. He couldn't help but smile as he held you silently. You just seemed so peaceful and fragile while sleeping like that, and he liked the feeling of being able to be protective of you. 

He waited until this last possible second to wake you up, because he was enjoying holding you and because he wanted to allow you to get some rest before dinner. 

"Y/N, it's time to go," he gently shook you awake. One sleepy eye opened and you yawned. He grinned at you, pulling you close and kissing your nose. 

"You're so cute," he gushed. 

"Oh, stop," you pushed him away playfully, "You're making me blush."

"That was the goal," he giggled, unbuckling his seatbelt and standing up. 

He held your hand on the way down the stairs again, taking them slowly so that you wouldn't trip again like last time. The car was already waiting for the two of you upon exiting the plane, and so Jungkook went before you to open your door for you. 

"You're so beautiful," he said as he watched you walk up toward him in the dress he'd picked out especially for you. 

"Stop making me blush!" you exclaimed with a smile, climbing into the car as Jungkook followed. 

His eyes were on you for the entirety of the car ride. He felt incredibly happy, for once in life. He no longer felt continually judged or lonely. He'd not been feeling his best before you came along, and slowly, you were changing all of that.

He was around you now, someone that he cared about, and you cared about him back. You were sitting beside him, the two of your legs nonchalantly touching. You were so adorable. You were as close to perfect as a human can get, he thought. He was trying to memorize all of your features, the way your eyes crinkled up when you laughed, and the way they glowed when you were listening to someone speak. Your eyes were never harsh to anyone, they were always soft and light. 

He memorized your little habits too. You fidgeted a lot. It wasn't because you were always nervous or worried; you just tended to fidget. Your happy smile may have seemed dopey to some people, but it was sexy to him. You seemed to genuinely care about things that people around you were passionate about, and you weren't selfish in the slightest. 

He knew you weren't perfect and that you had flaws, and that you tended to get defensive, but he didn't care. He overlooked those things, and he would continue to overlook those things for as long as the two of you were together because it was worth it. You were worth it. 

The truth was that already, after just a few months, he was hopelessly, undeniably in love with you.


	19. honest

The restaurant was crowded for a Wednesday night. Fortunately, Jungkook had actually made reservations like a regular person this time around; he didn't have to schmooze his way in.

It was weird to think that the last time you were here with Jungkook, you barely knew him at all. You two were practically strangers, and you weren't exactly happy to be stuck with him in Jeju. You remembered being nervous and unsure that day as you followed him around with his video camera as he sang. You remembered feeling a weird spark of emotions as the notes left his mouth. He was a beautiful singer; just as beautiful as Jimin, but in a different way.

But now, you were happily and willingly alongside Jungkook for the evening.

"Thank you for spending your birthday with me," Jungkook said, his eyes appearing as if they were glowing under the soft, dim lighting of the restaurant that felt all too familiar.

"I wouldn't want to spend it with anyone else," you beamed, giving him a cheesy smile.

"What about your family, though. Won't they miss you at all?" Jungkook asked, reaching for his water as he did so. "I almost feel bad for whisking you away and keeping you from them.

"Don't worry about it. I've let them know where I am and they want me to have fun, regardless of where I am," you chuckled, your eyes not leaving Jungkook's for even a second. It felt good to be confident enough to look him in the eye like that. You used to be afraid of him, even though you wouldn't admit it. You masked that fear with hated; hatred that wasn't actually real.

"Do you ever miss your family? Or do you still see them often?"

"I don't see them quite as often as I'd like to between work and school. But I don't know, it's okay. That's just how my life is right now," you shrugged, beginning to peruse through the menu. "What about you? I feel like you haven't talked about your family much to me."

"I just don't like having to be attached to their name all the time. I love my parents, but being known as Mr. Jeon's son isn't always the easiest. And they're busy. I don't see them often," Jungkook's eyes seemed a bit sad as he opened his menu as well, clearly trying to mask some emotion.

"I'm sorry, Kook," You said, sympathy lining your voice. "It must suck to not be able to see your family."

"Don't be sorry, I'm used to it. My life's been this way since I was little so it's nothing new," he reassured you. "This restaurant is my mother's favorite though, that's why I decided to bring you here the first time around."

"That's so sweet," you couldn't help but gush at how thoughtful he was. "So this place must be pretty important to your family, then."

"Oh, it is for sure. But, it's been at least a year since I last came here with my parents..." He trailed off, his eyes growing a little bit wider as he looked at something behind you.

"Jungkook?" A female voice asked. You turned around to see where the voice was coming from. It was a middle-aged woman standing a couple of paces behind you. 

"Mom?" Jungkook stood from his chair, peering over at the man behind her that you assumed was Jungkook's father. 

"Jungkook," his mother seemed equally as surprised. "H-Honey, what are you doing here?"

"Having dinner with my girlfriend," he said blankly, staring at the man that was with his mom. You couldn't figure out why Jungkook's reaction was so startled. 

"Oh, that's nice," his mother seemed nervous and uptight, but you were still unable to put the pieces together. 

"What are you doing here?" Jungkook narrowed his eyes at her, "And, who is this?" he gestured to the man who was grimacing slightly, remaining silent throughout the entire exchange. 

"Jungkook, it's not what it looks like," his mother started, seeming incredibly flustered. 

"Babe, are you okay?" you asked him, growing worried at the sight of Jungkook growing that upset. The pieces were starting to come together; Jungkook's mom was out with someone that wasn't his father. And Jungkook clearly wasn't supposed to be finding out about it. 

"I think it is what it looks like," Jungkook's eyes were growing wide with anger, "Are you cheating on my father?" he asked under his breath, like he was afraid to even say those words out loud because it would make them true. 

"Let's not talk about this here," Jungkook's mom insisted, keeping her voice quiet in order to avoid stares from the surrounding customers. 

"I wish you would be honest," Jungkook mumbled, his anger apparently dissapating into sadness. 

"Jungkook, I-" his mom started, but Jungkook shook his head. 

"No. Please, just leave. Eat somewhere else. I'd like to enjoy this night with Y/N," Jungkook sat back down, scooting his chair back up to the table. 

"Honey, let's talk tomorrow, okay? And please, don't say anything to your father for now," His mother grimaced, her tone apologetic and guilty sounding. 

"Please, just leave," Jungkook blinked a few times, and you wondered if he was trying to blink back tears. You couldn't tell for sure. 

But, Jungkook's mom and the man left shortly, leaving you and Jungkook alone again. 

"Baby, I'm so sorry," you started quietly, not entirely sure of what you could say to make this situation better. 

"No, I don't want this to ruin your special night," he said, his voice insistent and almost harsh sounding. 

"It's not ruining anything. I just care about you right now," you replied, "We can go home if you want, okay? We'll cuddle up at your place and watch a movie. We can eat dinner together some other time."

He seemed uneasy. "I don't want to take your birthday away from you."

"You aren't. I promise," you stood up from your chair. You didn't want to make him stay out and act like he was okay when he clearly wasn't. He just found out that his mother was having an affair; his mother who was very much in the public eye along with the rest of his family. If other people found about this, it would be bad press for his whole family. You understood the gravity of the situation. And Jungkook's comfort was more important than your birthday. 

"Let's go," you offered him your hand and he took it reluctantly, walking out of the restaurant with you.


	20. comfort

~Jungkook's POV~

"Do you wanna talk about it?" you murmured as you settled back against the large L-shaped couch of Jungkook's living room.

He'd been quiet for the entire commute home, and he was sure you were wondering what he was thinking, what was running through his mind. He hadn't been quiet to keep you in the dark, but because he had been attempting to process what he had just discovered.

"Maybe in a minute," he said, popping his hood up over his head. He'd changed into more comfortable clothes upon arriving home and had offered you some sweats and a T-shirt to wear since your earlier attire had been the most comfortable either.

"I won't talk anymore until you're ready to," you reassured him. Jungkook nodded, climbing over to sit beside you. Jimin was at a gig and Namjoon was in the studio as per usual. It was just you, him, the sound of unexpected rain, and a thick layer of sadness that was hanging in the air.

The fairy lights that Namjoon had insisted on putting up in the living room were on instead of the overhead light and they were delivering a gentle amount of lighting around the room. The sun was setting outside, and despite Jungkook's current crisis, the mood was...soft.

"I wanna cuddle," he said suddenly, just blurting it out because the thought popped into his head. He almost sounded like he was pouting as he leaned his head against your shoulder.

Truth was, the two of you hadn't ever really cuddled much before, but Jungkook just wanted to feel loved right now. He wanted to feel safe. He wanted to feel cared for.

"Come here," you said quietly, moving back into the corner of the couch and leaning back, laying down and opening your arms to allow him to lay with you.

He moved over, laying with you easily. It was strange how natural it already it felt to be around you like that. Especially considering that your relationship with him didn't exactly get off to the best start.

"Thanks for being here for me," Jungkook whispered, curling up against you.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Sometimes I feel like maybe this relationship doesn't give you anything. That I'm more trouble than I'm worth," he admitted. Maybe it was the rain or the dim lighting or the fact that he felt emotionally exhausted that compelled him to be honest in that moment.

"What are you talking about? You make me happy, Jungkook. We've had one little spat, that's all. And this situation with your family isn't something that you should be ashamed of. You have no control over it," you reassured him, a hand gently grazing up and down Jungkook's arm.

"I don't know what I'm talking about," he sighed, "I just know that I'm overwhelmed right now."

"Then, rest. Go to sleep if you want," you moved a bit closer to him.

"You don't have to stay with me...."

"I know I don't have to. I want to."

He sighed then, and allowed his eyes to close. 

/////

When Jungkook woke up, there was no longer any light streaming through the windows and the rain had yet to cease.

He reached for his phone carefully in attempt to not disturb your sleep so he could check the time.

3:08 AM.

"Jungkook?" you mumbled, and he silently cursed himself for waking you up.

"Sorry baby I was just reaching for my phone. I didn't mean to wake you up," he laid back down completely, shifting though so that you would be the one with your head on his chest.

"Why are you awake?" you said through tired lips.

"My mind is just being really loud right now," he said quietly before kissing the top of your head. Despite all of his inner turmoil, he felt comfortable right now. Because of you.

"What can I do to help?"

"I just can't understand how she could do that to him. And to me. I can't understand where in her mind she thinks it's okay, and why she thought attempting to lie to me would be the best way out," all of the words came spilling out in that moment as Jungkook's swirling thoughts finally started to make coherent sense.

"Maybe she thought lying would be the best way to protect you," you proposed, but Jungkook didn't buy it.

"If she was concerned for me, she wouldn't have cheated on my dad in the first place," Jungkook said, "I mean, was our family not enough for her?"

"How often do your parents see each other?"

"I guess not that often..." Jungkook realized once he really thought about it.

"I'm not defending her actions at all, and I'm totally on your side, but maybe the best explanation is that she was lonely. I mean, maybe all the distance between her and your dad made them grow apart, and made her feel lonely?"

"You're probably right," he sighed, "But that doesn't change anything. I don't know how to feel. I don't even know if I'm confused or angry or sad....Maybe I'm all of those things."

"And that's okay," you sat up for a moment so you could see his face. "It's okay to feel whatever you need to feel right now. That's fair, and you have the right to do so. And I'll be here for you as you deal with it, every step of the way."

"Thank you," he murmured, a hand cupping your cheek.

You leaned down then, your lips on his in the most  
comforting of ways. It was short but soft, and exactly what Jungkook needed.

You laid back down, your head on his chest, sighing.

"Go back to sleep," Jungkook whispered, "You deserve some good rest. I'll do my best to not wake you up this time around."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk more? Sleep can wait," you said, but you snuggled against him anyway, contradicting yourself. He smiled.

"I feel like I'm alright for now. I just want to relax and let this long night be over," he explained.

"Goodnight, Jungkook," you said quietly.

He felt warm.

"Goodnight, Y/N."

////

4:28 AM

[NEWS ALERT FROM SEOUL INSIDER] The wife of CEO Jeon is reportedly having an affair based upon these pictures sent in by an anonymous tip. Mrs. Jeon is clearly out to dinner with a man that is not CEO Jeon, leaving us scratching our heads and wondering; what exactly went wrong?

All we know is that when Seoul wakes up in the morning, this new scandal will be on the forefront of everybody's mind.


End file.
